Drivers ticketed for little known parking laws not posted on signs

Denver, Colorado drivers continue to receive tickets for a little known parking ordinances brought to light by KMGH 7News. Back in November, the station reported that those who moved their parked vehicle after the posted time limit were required to wait 24 hours before parking their car in the same spot, and when they did move, the new spot needed to be more than 100 feet away from the previous spot.

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(KMGH)

Recently, Lauren Molina received a $25 ticket for the 100 feet violation. "I got a ticket for not moving my car 100 feet, more than 100 feet, even though it was on the opposite side of the street," Ms. Molina told 7News. But as in his original report, Molina and 7News’ Marshall Zelinger saw no signage indicating that requirement.

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Lauren Molina (KMGH)

The reporter then asked Denver Public Works Spokeswoman, Emily Williams, why the ordinance was not posted on street signs. "I think it's because there are so many signs out there. There's a fine line between having just the right amount of signs that people are paying attention to and having too many where people start ignoring all of those signs," Williams told the station. She added, “Right now, our only tool for education when you break this ordinance, is a citation. But hopefully that will be changing soon.” The Public Works department says they are working on how to make those changes so that lesser known ordinances will be known.

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Emily Williams, Denver Public Works Spokeswoman (KMGH)

During their November report, the station encountered Wilson Leonard, who had just received a parking violation. Mr. Leonard said, "I was parked around noon and then I went to a yoga class, and then came back an hour-and-a-half later, got to my car, parked it again near the same spot. I got a parking ticket for being in the same spot over those three hours, even though I was there, I left and then I came back."

Unable to detect what the violation was, Zelinger asked enforcement agent Gary Glasser, who was on the scene, “Am I missing a sign that says something like that?" To which Glasser replied, “No.” Glasser indicated that the laws are available on the city’s website, DenverGov.org, and he said, “…if you park in any city in any state, you are assuming responsibility to knowing the rules and regulations of that city, of that state.”

7News found the applicable ordinances (54-482 (a) and 54-420) on Denver’s website, but noted that the wording was quite confusing. Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown feels the ordinance itself is poorly written and the 100-foot limit should not include alternate side parking. "I read the ordinance and it took three or four readings to try to understand it. Even someone in Public Works admitted that the ordinance was confusing. They want to change it as well as I do."

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Charlie Brown, Denver City Councilman (KMGH)

Ms. Molina contested her ticket and while it was not dismissed, she did get a $5 discount because of her good faith effort to move her car across the street. Molina, like many Denver residents, feels, “If they are not going to place it on the sign, then the ordinance needs to be removed.”